The House of Representatives has directed all tertiary institutions in Nigeria to refund tuition fees paid by students immediately, prior to the disbursement of funds under the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) scheme.
The resolution followed the adoption of an urgent motion sponsored by Aliyu Mustapha Abdullahi, who represents the Ikara/Kubau Federal Constituency of Kaduna State. He said the move was necessary to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Student Loan (Access to Higher Education) Act of 2024.
Mr Abdullahi raised concerns over reports of unethical practices in the loan disbursement process. He cited allegations of inflated tuition fees being uploaded on the NELFUND portal, poor verification procedures, and other irregularities, describing them as troubling and in need of investigation.
While commending the Federal Government for what he described as significant progress on the initiative, he stressed the need for transparency, accountability, and equitable access in the distribution of the loans.
“Note that significant progress has been made in the programme so far, with over half a million applicants and the disbursement of over N54 billion to beneficiaries across the country,” Mr Abdullahi said.
In adopting the motion, the House urged NELFUND to deploy advanced IT solutions to improve the verification of applicants and streamline internal processes. It also called on the agency to report any institution found violating the Act or its guidelines to the appropriate authorities for sanction.
Leave feedback about this